A step in the right direction. Link The Associated Press says the Tea Party's growing power and influence has unmoored Republican politicians from their traditional alliance with Wall Street in favor of grassroots conservative activists. AP reporters Charles Babington and Jim Kuhnhenn cited the "corporate community's waning clout" and "the remarkable drop in the business community's influence among House Republicans, who increasingly respond more to Tea Party conservatives than to the Chamber of Commerce." The shift comes as grassroots activists have re-framed the GOP's old "pro-business" stance into a "pro-free markets" positioning that eschews the kinds of corporate welfare and taxpayer-funded crony capitalism found in big government giveaways to industries that make hefty political contributions. President Obama and Democrats have seized on the shift and have increased their already strong courting of corporate executives. On Wednesday, Obama held White House meetings with 14 top CEOs from some of America's biggest financial firms. Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein then stood on the White House driveway and scolded those who would "use threats of causing the U.S. to fail on its obligations to repay its debt as a cudgel." Former Mitt Romney adviser Kevin Madden told the AP the Tea Party's rise has shaken up the GOP establishment. "Now it's more of a bottom-up model, where you see these grassroots organizations and grassroots voters are now more empowered and they feel they have a stronger voice," said Madden.
Follow up article: Some in GOP not heeding old big business allies Link AP) Some in GOP not heeding old big business allies By CHARLES BABINGTON and JIM KUHNHENN Associated Press WASHINGTON Business leaders are taking sides with Democratic President Barack Obama after failing to persuade their traditional Republican allies in Congress to avert a government shutdown. Obama, whose health care and regulatory agenda they have vigorously opposed, is embracing the business outreach, eager to employ groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Wall Street CEOs to portray House Republicans as out of touch even with their long-established corporate and financial patrons. Yet, the partial closing of the government and the looming confrontation over the nation's borrowing limit highlight the remarkable drop in the business community's influence among House Republicans, who increasingly respond more to tea party conservatives than to the Chamber of Commerce. On Wednesday, Obama hosted 14 chief executives from the nation's biggest financial firms for more than an hour of meetings. Moreover, the Chamber of Commerce has sent a letter to Congress signed by about 250 business groups urging no shutdown and warning that a debt ceiling crisis could lead to an economic disaster. They say that the policy disputes over health care and spending that are separating Democrats and Republicans should be debated later. Summing up the Wall Street CEOs' message on the White House driveway Wednesday, Lloyd Blankfein, chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs, said: "You can re-litigate these policy issues in a political forum, but we shouldn't use threats of causing the U.S. to fail on its obligations to repay its debt as a cudgel." The divide between some GOP lawmakers and the corporate groups that have helped shape the Republican agenda in the past is partly a result of a legacy of the Wall Street bailouts of 2008-09 and a changing communication and campaign finance landscape that has weakened the roles of corporate donors and of the major political parties. Interviews with House Republicans from all regions of the country demonstrate the corporate community's waning clout. Most of these lawmakers say local business owners and chambers of commerce have not raised the potential economic downside of a government shutdown or debt default. Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, like many of his colleagues, said the overwhelming message he hears from business owners is their dislike of Obama's health care overhaul, which is at the center of Congress' impasse and the government shutdown. Likewise, Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, said he mostly hears business owners complain "about the negative effects of `Obamacare' upon their ability to do business and hire people." When Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., was asked if he had heard business groups express fears of a government shutdown's economic impact, he replied: "No. And it wouldn't make any difference if I did." Still, major business groups are raising alarms, citing the economic cost of a shutdown and warning of even more serious consequences if Congress doesn't act quickly to raise the $16.7 trillion borrowing limit, which the government is expected to hit around mid-October. The letter circulated by the Chamber of Commerce urges lawmakers to raise the debt ceiling "in a timely manner and remove any threat to the full faith and credit of the United States government." It also acknowledges Republican fears over the unsustainable growth of major benefit programs such Medicare and Social Security and the need for a more business-friendly tax system. But in a rejection of the tactics of House Speaker John Boehner, the letter urges Congress to pass first a short-term spending bill, then raise the debt ceiling, "and then return to work on these other vital issues." That advice is being ignored by the GOP-led House. "There is an element of the more independent, tea party coalition Republicans that, frankly, don't listen to very many people," said John Engler, the former Republican governor of Michigan and now president of the Business Roundtable, one of the groups that signed the chamber letter. "They are on a mission, often defined on the basis of their view of the world, and they aren't paying very much attention to what this means beyond maybe their own districts." Concerned, the Chamber of Commerce is preparing to participate in political primaries, protecting friendly lawmakers from conservative challengers. "Clearly we're getting to a point where we need a Congress that's going to be productive, proactive and create a stable environment for economic growth and job creation," said Scott Reed, a Republican political consultant who is advising the chamber on its strategy. A changing environment has given conservatives plenty of tools to challenge establishment Republicans by using new technology and social media to organize and mobilize highly motivated voters. Campaign finance laws have also given donors a greater playing field that is not limited to the political parties. What's more, the bank bailouts of 2008 and 2009 soured the public, which resulted in a new wave of populist Republicans in 2010 driven by a decentralized tea party movement that was not beholden to the GOP establishment. As a result, said Kevin Madden, a former senior House Republican leadership aide and an adviser to Mitt Romney' presidential campaign, the political parties, congressional committee chairmen and big donors no longer wield the clout they once did. "Now it's more of a bottom-up model, where you see these grass-roots organizations and grass-roots voters are now empowered and they feel they have a stronger voice," he said. "There is less of an emphasis on the parties. They used to have much more outsize control over who the candidates were and what party discipline was. Now a lot of that is gone." Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., emphasized that point. "I'm from a district that pretty much ignores Washington," he said. "If you say government is going to shut down, they say, `OK, which part can we shut down?'"
From the previous article: "They are on a mission, often defined on the basis of their view of the world, and they aren't paying very much attention to what this means beyond maybe their own districts." EXACTLY! That is how it should be. That's ALSO why all those polls about the general population being pissed off at Republicans for "causing" the shutdown is horseshit, meaningless propaganda. The people who come from these districts don't give a shit - they are conservative and will continue to be elected by their constituents, much in the same way Pelosi always gets re-elected despite the hag's public displays of stupidity.
I agree and disagree. Yes, representatives should vote the way their district wants...to the degree which common sense will prevail. Yes, dems and the media are quick to point out the gerrymandering on the republican side, yet remain willfully ignorant about dems doing the same thing. Problem is, who is it then that represents the best interests of the country as a whole? The answer is a true leader in the oval office who can facilitate bi-partisan efforts. Someone who can get the children to play well together. What we have is an empty suit, perpetual campaigner who does nothing but drive wedges between these already opposeing forces.
'WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE DISRESPECTED. WE HAVE TO GET SOMETHING OUT OF THIS. AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT EVEN IS.' "House Republicans are continuing to play hardball in negotiations over the spending bill that precipitated the government shutdown on Oct. 1, apparently out of fear that compromise would weaken their power. "We're not going to be disrespected," Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.) told The Washington Examiner. "We have to get something out of this. And I don't know what that even is." "The GOP spent much of Wednesday blaming President Barack Obama and the Democrats for the effects of the shutdown, which led to the furlough of 800,000 workers and the closure of numerous government services. They failed to mention that the spending bill didn't pass because they loaded the bill with restrictions on the Affordable Care Act, a law that passed in 2010 and was found constitutional by the Supreme Court in June 2012." More>>
As usual, forum troll shows up with a weak attack article. This quote was particularly hilarious, and the subject for the entire opinional: Could easily be reversed as Obama and Reid spent the entire day calling the GOP all sorts of names and whatnot. The rest of the article offers nothing but angry rhetoric. If, as the first two articles suggest, the GOP (particularly the Tea Party) is beginning to distance itself from big business, then this is a step in the right direction. Democrats are quick to take up the relationship with Big Business. Would be downright hilarious if the parties switched rolls.
Completely agree. If you recall, Obama ran (his first election) on the idea that he was going to be the "Great Unifier". We were told how he would offer "unprecedented reaching across the isles." How'd that work out? Let me know when such a leader shows up in the Oval Office.
They guy just won't talk to anyone. Even his most ardent supporters will admit he does little to reach out and get to know people. I've heard Chris Matthews say this many a time, and if Tingles admits it, everyone knows it. Surely it's not because Obama is a shy guy. Quite the opposite. It is his arrogance. He has no interest in governing. He wants to rule by decree. His decree alone, like a King. More than that, a black King ruling over whitey. No one dare question the great black King without being labeled a racist. Just can't do it with our "racist" history. Your white guilt must trump any common sense questions. I honestly believe he thinks this way, along with his supporters.
I say, "Biggest LIAR to ever occupy the White House". He's nothing but a con man on the biggest stage. And yet.... 50+% of Americans would drag their balls across 20 miles of broken glass just to hear him fart over an intercom!
What's worse is that, when he was first elected, I was one of the people who had hoped that the election of a black man finally made it possible for us to put our past limitations on races behind us. Finally, anyone could be President (as it should be) as long as they were the right person for the job. But now, after Obama, so many people are never going to want to elect a black man again. They're always going to remember Obama and what he did and go "whoa...we tried that once. No thanks."